Street-sweeping machine.



No. 694,620. Patented Mar. 4, I902.

W. G. DINGLE.

STREET SWEEPING MACHINE.

A lication filed u. 14, 1901,)

(No Model.)

Wi'inesses UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM GEO. DINGLE, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

'SFI'REE'VIZ-SWEEPING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 694,620, dated March 4, 1902.

Application filed March 14, 1901. Serial No. 51,202. (N0 model.)

ter fully described, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of my-machine. Fig. 2 is a side view of one of the shovels with the supporting parts of the'frame in section. Fig. 3 is a cross-section on line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a viewjshowing the manner of attaching the bristle to the frame of the sweeping-brush. Fig. 5 is an edge view of two of the sprockets. Fig. 6 is a side view, partly in section, on line 6 6 of Fig. 5'.

In the drawings, A is the axle of the machine, which is rotatively mounted in the frame 13. On one end of the axle is rigidly mounted driving-wheel C, and on the other end thereof is loosely mounted the other driving wheel D and the driving sprocket-wheel E. In each end of the hub of the driving sprocket-wheel is a conventional ratchet mechanismflshown in detail in .Fig. 6,) by,

means of which when the machine is pushed forward the driving-sprocketis locked fast to the axle and to the loose driving-wheel. The purpose of having one of the driving-wheels loose on the axle and having sprocket mechanism to lock it fast to the driving-sprocket is that each driving-wheel may act independently, as in turning the machine around a corner. to sprocket-wheel F, affixed to the end of the sweeping brush G, by sprocket chain H, through which motion from the drivingsprocket is imparted to the brush. The brush is rotatively mounted in thefront end of the brush supporting arms I, which are pivotally connected to the frame by bolts J,

so that the brush may be turned up into the center of the machine when transporting it from one place to another. When in an operative position, as shown inFig. 1, these supporting-arms rest on the regulating slotted The driving-sprocket is connected bars K, which keepthe brush at the proper elevation above shovels L. These barsmay be adjusted to lower the brush as the bristles G thereof wear away, and thereby enable the bristles to be almost entirelyworn away before being discarded. These bristles are held in the brush between two longitudinal bars G and G,one of which is affixed to the spider G"", the bars being held together by screws or bolts, thereby rendering the removal and replacement of the bristles an easy matter.

L are shovels mounted in the front part of the frame in the rear of the sweeping-brush,

over-which the dirt is swept,and are adapted to contact with the surface of the street being swept to scrape up or loosen dirt therefrom. which itis desired to have removed therefrom. There are a plurality of these shovels, which are spring-pressed downward to make better contact with the street-pavement when it is uneven. The shank L of each shovel is flattened to form a'frustum'of a'wedge along thatportion to which the shovel-blade is at' tached and passes through a dovetail groove inone of the cross-bars B of the frame, as shownin Fig. 3. The shankisslightly curved, and the other end passes through cross-bar B, which permits each shovel to move backward and upward, so that it may pass over any slight solid projection in thesurface be ing swept, and they are returned to their normal position by spring M after the obstruction is passed. As the machine is pushed forward the. dirt is swept up over the shovels into the removable dust-pan N, which when filled is removed from the frame, emptied, and replaced. If the machineshould reach a pile of dirt too large to be" swept up by the brush as driven by the Wheels, the operator pushes the brush up into engagement with the dirt and by turning crank O' operates the brush through connecting mechanism to sweep the dirt into the dust-pan. This con;- necting mechanism is described as follows; Crank 0 is rigidlyafifixed to a rod P, which passes through the hollow rear end member of the frame. 0n the other end of rod P is rigidly aflixed sprocket-wheel R, which is operatively connected by chain T with sprocketwheel S, mounted on the hub of the drivingsprocket and connected thereto by ratchet mechanism similar to thatwhichconnects the d riving-sprocket with the axle, but working in the reverse direction.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A street-sweeping machine, comprising a frame having an axle rotatively mounted therein; two driving-wheels on said axle, one of which is loosely mounted,and the other rigidly mounted on said axle; a driving sprocketwheel loosely mounted on said axle; ratchet mechanism intermediate the axle and the driving-sprocket and the loose driving-Wheel and the driving-sprocket, adapted, when the machine is pushed forward, to lock the driving-sprocket to the axle and to the loose driving-wheel to cause the rotation of the drivingsprocket, and when pulled backward to unlock the driving-sprocket from the axle and the loose wheel; a sweeping-brush revolubly mounted in the forward end of the machine, having a sprocket-wheel connected thereto; asprocket-chain connectingsaid last sprocket with the driving-sprocket; shovels mounted in the front end of the frame adapted to be moved backward and upward independently of each other, and a removable dust-pan.

2. In a street-sweeping machine, means to impart motion to the sweeping-brush independent the main driving-wheels, comprising a sprocket-wheel rotatively mounted on the rear part of the frame, having means to cause its rotation; a main driving sprocket-Wheel loosely mounted on the axle of the machine; a sprocket-wheel mounted on the hub of the main driving-sprocket,havingsprocket mechanism adapted to lock the two sprocket-wheels together when driven in one direction,and unlock them when driven in the reverse direction; a sweeping-brush mounted in the front part of the frame; a sprocket-Wheel on the axle of the sweeping-brush and sprocket-chains connecting said sprocket-wheels, in combination with a frame; an axle mounted in said frame, and supporting-wheels on said axle, as described herein.

3. In a street-sweeping machine, having a frame and driving-wheels adapted to drive the sweeping-brush, the combination of a sweeping-brush revolubly mounted in the front end of the frame and means to revolve said sweeping-brush independently of the driving-wheels, comprising a sprocket-Wheel affixed to the brush, a sprocket-chain connecting said sprocket-wheel with the drivingsprocket; a driving-sprocket loosely mounted on the axle of the machine; a sprocket-wheel on the hub of the driving-sprocket; ratchet mechanism between said hub and said wheel, Y

adapted to lock the two when the sprocketwheel on the hub is rotated in one direction, and unlock it therefrom when rotated in the reverse direction; a sprocket-chain connecting the sprocket-wheel on the hub of the driving-sprocket with a sprocketwvheel on a rod; a rod revolubly mounted in the rear member of the frame, and a crank on the end of said rod. In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 6th day of March, 1901.

WILLIAM GEO. DINGLE. Witnesses:

G. E. HARPHAM, H. J. J OHNSON. 

